Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Mika Orange’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of  Chrysanthemum  plant named ‘Mika Orange’, characterized by its uniform, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form; moderately vigorous growth habit; freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit; uniform, early and freely flowering habit; large semi-decorative-type inflorescences with ray florets that are initially greyed orange in color becoming yellow orange with development; and excellent garden performance.

Botanical designation: Chrysanthemum×morifolium.

Cultivar denomination: ‘MIKA ORANGE’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar ofChrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium, andhereinafter referred to by the name ‘Mika Orange’.

The new Chrysanthemum plant is a product of a planned breeding programconducted by the Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium. The objective ofthe breeding program is to create new freely flowering Chrysanthemumplants with unique and attractive ray floret coloration.

The new Chrysanthemum plant originated from a cross-pollination made bythe Inventor in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium in September, 2004 ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Rambo’, not patented, as the female, or seed,parent with Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Eho’, not patented. The newChrysanthemum plant was discovered and selected by the Inventor as aflowering plant from within the progeny of the stated cross-pollinationin a controlled greenhouse environment in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium inSeptember, 2005.

Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum plant by vegetativecuttings was first conducted in a controlled greenhouse environment inOostnieuwkerke, Belgium in January, 2006. Asexual reproduction bycuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemumplant are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have not been observed under allpossible environmental conditions and cultural conditions. The phenotypemay vary somewhat with variations in environment such as temperature,daylength and light intensity, without, however, any variance ingenotype.

The following traits have been repeatedly observed and are determined tobe the unique characteristics of ‘Mika Orange’. These characteristics incombination distinguish ‘Mika Orange’ as a new and distinctChrysanthemum plant:

-   -   1. Uniform, upright, outwardly spreading and rounded plant form;        moderately vigorous growth habit.    -   2. Freely branching habit; dense and full plant habit.    -   3. Uniform, early and freely flowering habit.    -   4. Large semi-decorative-type inflorescences with ray florets        that are initially greyed orange in color becoming yellow orange        with development.    -   5. Excellent garden performance.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from the female parent,‘Rambo’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of        ‘Rambo’.    -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are        semi-decorative in form whereas inflorescences of plants of        ‘Rambo’ are single in form.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum differ primarily from the male parent,‘Eho’, in the following characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum flower earlier than plants of        ‘Eho’.    -   2. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum are        semi-decorative in form whereas inflorescences of plants of        ‘Eho’ are decorative in form.

Plants of the new Chrysanthemum can also be compared to plants ofChrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Grace’, disclosed in U.S. Plant Pat. No.7,642. In side-by-side comparisons conducted in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium,plants of the new Chrysanthemum differed from plants of ‘Grace’ in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were more rounded than and        not as upright as plants of ‘Grace’.    -   2. Plants of the new Chrysanthemum were flexible and not brittle        like plants of ‘Grace’.    -   3. Inflorescences of plants of the new Chrysanthemum were        semi-double in form whereas inflorescence of plants of ‘Grace’        were single in form.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PHOTOGRAPH

The accompanying photograph illustrates the overall appearance of thenew Chrysanthemum plant showing the colors as true as it is reasonablypossible to obtain in colored reproductions of this type. Colors in thephotograph may differ slightly from the color values cited in thedetailed botanical description which accurately describe the colors ofthe new Chrysanthemum plant. The photograph comprises a side perspectiveview of a typical flowering plant of ‘Mika Orange’ grown in a container.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The aforementioned photograph and following observations andmeasurements describe plants grown in 19-cm containers in an outdoornursery in Oostnieuwkerke, Belgium during the summer and autumn andunder conditions and practices which approximate those generally used incommercial Chrysanthemum production. During the production of theplants, day temperatures ranged from 25° C. to 30° C. and nighttemperatures ranged from 15° C. to 20° C. Plants were 20 weeks old whenthe photograph and description were taken. In the following description,color references are made to The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart, 2005 Edition, except where general terms of ordinary dictionarysignificance are used.

-   Botanical classification: Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Mika Orange’.-   Parentage:    -   -   Female, or seed, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Rambo’,            not patented.        -   Male, or pollen, parent.—Chrysanthemum×morifolium ‘Eho’, not            patented.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Terminal vegetative cuttings.        -   Time to initiate roots, summer.—About 14 days at            temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to initiate roots, winter.—About 20 days at            temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, summer.—About 30 days            at temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Time to produce a rooted young plant, winter.—About 40 days            at temperatures of about 20° C.        -   Root description.—Fine, fibrous; light brown in color.        -   Rooting habit.—Freely branching; medium density.-   Plant description:    -   -   Appearance.—Perennial decorative-type Chrysanthemum plant;            stems upright and outwardly spreading giving a uniformly            rounded appearance to the plant; very freely branching            habit, about 25 primary lateral branches develop, each            primary lateral branch with multiple secondary branches;            pinching enhances lateral branch development; dense and full            plant habit; moderately vigorous growth habit; plants            flexible, not brittle.        -   Plant height.—About 35 cm.        -   Plant width.—About 50 cm.        -   Lateral branches.—Length: About 25 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm            to 3 mm. Internode length: About 3 cm. Strength: Strong.            Texture: Pubescent; longitudinally ridged. Color: Close to            136A.        -   Leaves.—Arrangement: Alternate, simple. Length: About 4.5 cm            to 6 cm. Width: About 2.5 cm to 3 cm. Apex: Rounded to            cuspidate. Base: Attenuate. Margin: Palmately lobed and            serrate, sinuses between lateral lobes divergent to            parallel. Texture, upper and lower surfaces: Slightly            pubescent. Color: Developing and fully expanded leaves,            upper surface: Close to 136A; venation, close to 148C.            Developing and fully expanded leaves, lower surface: Close            to 137C; venation, close to 147B to 147C. Petiole: Length:            About 1 cm. Diameter: About 2 mm. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Slightly pubescent and rough. Color, upper            surface: Close to 136A. Color, lower surface: Close to 137C.-   Inflorescence description:    -   -   Appearance.—Semi-decorative inflorescence form;            inflorescences borne on terminals above foliar plane; disc            and ray florets arranged acropetally on a capitulum.        -   Fragrance.—Faintly fragrant, pungent.        -   Flowering response.—Under natural season conditions, plants            flower in early September in Belgium; flowering response            time, about five weeks.        -   Postproduction longevity.—Inflorescences maintain good color            and substance for about six weeks in an outdoor nursery;            inflorescences persistent.        -   Quantity of inflorescences.—About 20 to 30 inflorescences            develop per lateral branch.        -   Inflorescence bud.—Height: About 6 mm. Diameter: About 2 cm.            Shape: Globular. Color: Close to 136A.        -   Inflorescence size.—Diameter: About 5 cm. Depth (height):            About 2 cm. Disc diameter: About 1.5 cm. Receptacle            diameter: About 3 mm. Receptacle height: About 2.5 mm to            3 mm. Receptacle color: Close to 144B.        -   Ray florets.—Length: About 3.5 cm to 5 cm. Width: About            8 mm. Shape: Oval. Apex: Rounded. Base: Attenuate. Margin:            Entire. Aspect: Mostly flat. Texture, upper and lower            surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Number of ray florets per            inflorescence: About 50 to 75 arranged in about three            whorls. Color: When opening, upper surface: Close to 171B.            When opening, lower surface: Close to 169C. Fully opened,            upper surface: Close to 23A; color becoming closer to 21B            with development. Fully opened, lower surface: Close to 21B;            color does not change with development.        -   Disc florets.—Length: About 3 mm. Diameter: About 0.5 mm to            1 mm. Shape: Tubular, elongated; apices acute. Number of            disc florets per inflorescence: About 200 to 250 massed at            the center of the inflorescence. Color, immature: Close to            145A. Color, mature: Close to 12A.        -   Phyllaries.—Number of phyllaries per inflorescence: About 25            arranged in two or three whorls. Length: About 4 mm to 6 mm.            Width: About 2 mm to 3 mm. Shape: Ovate. Apex: Rounded.            Base: Rounded to truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture, upper            and lower surfaces: Smooth, glabrous. Color, upper surface:            Close to 137A. Color, lower surface: Close to N137B.        -   Peduncles.—Length, terminal peduncle: About 5 cm. Length,            fourth peduncle: About 5 cm. Length, seventh peduncle: About            5 cm. Diameter: About 2.5 mm. Angle: About 30° from            vertical. Strength: Moderately strong. Texture: Slightly            pubescent. Color: Close to 136A.        -   Reproductive organs.—Androecium: Not observed. Gynoecium:            Not observed.        -   Seed/fruit.—Seed and fruit production have not been            observed.-   Disease/pest resistance: Resistance to pathogens and pests common to    Chrysanthemums has not been observed on plants grown under    commercial conditions.-   Garden performance: Plants of the new Chrysanthemum have    demonstrated excellent garden performance and will tolerate    temperatures ranging from about 0° C. to about 45° C.

1. A new and distinct Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Mika Orange’ asillustrated and described.